Safety steering-equalizer for automobiles.



M. M. MUDD. SAFETY STEERING EQUALIZER FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1914.

1 ,1 22,789, Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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SAFETY STEERING-EQUALIZER FOR AUTOMOBILES Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 5, 1914. Serial No. 310,320.

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Steerin Equalizers for Automobiles-of which the following is a specification.

In the construction of motor vehicles it is usual vto mount the front wheels upon stub axles connected to the front axle of the vehicle by means of so called steering knuckles pivoted upona vertical axis, and to connect such knuckles to the steering wheel whereby the wheels are shifted in unison so as to maintain their parallelism with each other when turned at varying angles to the stationary front axle. It has been proposed to employ in such constructions centering or equalizing means tending to automatically restore the Wheels to a position at right angles to the front axle, such for instance as springs attached to the knuckles and, to a fixed point of support under tension, whereby as the wheels are turned in one direction or the other the tension of the two springs is unbalanced and their tendency is to return to a balanced condition and thus restore the wheels to the straight aheac position at right angles to the axle. An objection inherent in such centering or equalizing means is the liability of one of the springs to bceak thereby allowing the other to suddenly shift the wheels and cause the vehicle to leave the road wrecking the same and endangering the lives of those riding therein.

The principal object of the present inventi on is the inclusion in an equalizer construction of the general type referred to of safety means providing for the automatic release or otherwise throwing out of operation the; equalizer element acting upon one wheel instantly upon the breaking of the equalizer element attached to the other wheel so that upon the breaking of one of the springs for example the other spring will beprevented by its release or otherwise from applying its force to suddenly disturb the direction of travel of the wheels.

In order that the invention and the manner of its operation may be readily under-j stood a preferred embodiment ofv the same is set forth in the accompanying drawing nates the front axle of and in the description based thereon. A s, however, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other and varied constructional forms the drawing and description are to be taken in an illustrative and not in an unnecessarily limiting sense.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a rear View of the front axle of a motor vehicle showing the invention applied to the steering mechanism; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the safety device showing its connection to the centering elements and in dotted lines to its release position; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but in top plan.

Herein the reference numeral 11 desigthe vehicle having bifurcated portions 12, 12 within which are mounted upon the vertical pivots the steering knuckles 13, 13, the latter having rearwardly extending arms 14, 14, the ends of which are connected by a rod 15 adapted to be connected in any approved manner with the steering wheel of the vehicle. This con struction is well known and itwill be readily understood that as the rod 15 and the arms 14, 14. are shifted laterally the knuckles 13, 13 and the wheels 16, 16 are shifted there with, the latter thereby being caused to assume positions at difierent angles to the steering axle in order to effect the turning of the vehicle in either direction.

Centeringor equalizing means are employed in order to cause the wheels to tend to a straight ahead position, that is to say, at right angles to the front axle. Such equalizing means are here illustrated as comprising a pair of springs 17, 17, each connected at their remote ends with one of the steering arms 14, while their adjacent ends are connected one to an arm 18 of a yoke member 19 fixedly mounted by means of a bolt 20 and the clamp 21 upon the axle 11. Each of the springs 17, 17' is normally under considerable tension and it is obvious that as the wheels 16 are manually shifted the tension of one of the springs will be in creased while the other is diminished and that upon the removal of the force shifting the wheels the latter will be restored to their normal position by the restoration of the balances of the equalizing springs. It

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the tension of the other spring will immedi ately shift the wheels out of their central position and might cause serious results before the car could be brought again under the manual control of the driver. It is to guard against this danger that the safety feature of the present invention is designed and to this end the inner ends of the centering springs are anchored'in the manner which will now be described.

Instead of forming the yoke 19 integral with the clamp 21 or attaching-the same thereto in a rigidmanner this yoke which serves as an anchorage for the centering springs 17, 17 is mounted upon the bolt 20.

permit of its turning of a nut 24 acting through a spring Washer {25. The force eXert-edby means of the nut and spring 25 upon the yoke lQ is suificient to maintain the stud in engagement with the recess under all normal conditions of operation, but is insufiicient to maintain such engagement against the unopposed force of either of the springs 17. Wherefore, it follows that in the'event of the breaking of one of the centering springs j 17 the pull exerted by the remaining spring is suliicient to cause the inclined walls of the stud the recess 23- against the tension of the spring Washer 25 and permit the yoke to tilt quickly to the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the loop of the spring 17 1 the arm 18 and out snapping off the end of through the opening between the ends of said arms. It will thus be seen that upon the breaking or otherwise rendering inoperative of one of the centering springs the :tension of the other upon the steering arm -is automatically and instantly released so that any danger of the vehicle being caused to swerve to one side is obviated.

I claim: 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with centering means for the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising elements acting updn the two wheels, one only of said elements being strained when the wheels are steered in one side direction from the straightahead position, and the other element only being strained when the wheels are steered in the opposite side direction, of a safety device actuatedby the incapacitation of the centering. element forcentering element inoperative,

abnormal conditions wheels anism of the two wheels,- elements bemg strained are steered 1n one side direction from the 22-to ride up the inclined wall of' nected at their, one end n g h adiee ht ends one wheel to automatically render the other substantially as described. I

2. In a device of the character descrlbed, the combination with centering means for the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising elements acting upon the two wheels, one only ofsaid elements being strained when the Wheels are steered in one side direction -fromthe straightahead position, the other element only being strained when the wheels. are steered in the opposite side dlrectlon, of

.a safety device actuated upon the breaking centering element for one wheel to of the automatically release the other centering element, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, 1

the combination of centering means for the steering wheels of a vehicle, comprising a pair of springs acting upon the two Wheels, one'only of said springs being extended when the wheels are steered in one side direction from the straightahead position, the

other spring only being extended when the are steered in the opposite side direction, I the incapacitation of one of the springs to and a safety device actuated upon automatically render inoperative the other spring, substantially as described.

In a device of the character described, the combination of centering elements connected at their one end to the steering mechone only of said when the wheels straightahead position, the other element only being strained when the wheels are steered. and a joint in the opposite side direction, anchorage for the other. ends ofthe two elements, said anchorage being arranged to au-.

tomatically release the remaining *element upon the accidentalfincapacitation of the other, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of centering springs connected at their one end to the steering mechanism of the two wheels, one only of said springs being extended when the wheels aresteered in one side direction from the straightahead position, the other spring only being extended when the wheels are steered in the opposite side direction,-

and a. joint anchorage for the other ends of the two springs,

ing spring upon the accidental release of the other spring, 6. In a device of the character described, the combination of centering elements con.- to the steering mechanism of the two wheels, and a joint anchorage for the other ends of'the .two elements, said anchorage comprisin p votally mounted .onfa' ed support and of the enterin said anchorage being artanged to automatically release the remainsubstantially as described.

a yoke member I I said anchorage comprisin elements with its two arms, the said anchorage arranged to tilt upon its pivot and release the remaining element upon the accidental incapacitation of the other element, substantially as described.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination of centering springs connected at their one end to the steering mechanism of the two wheels, and a joint anchorage for the other ends of the two springs, a yoke member pivotally mounted on the Xed support and engaging the adjacent ends of the springs with its two'arms, the said anchorage arranged to tilt upon its pivot and release the remaining spring upon the accidental re lease of the other spring, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character described,

the combination of centering elements connected at their one end to the steering mechanism of the two wheels, and a joint anchorage for the other ends of the two elements,

said anchorage comprising a yoke member pivotally mounted on a fixed support and engaging the adjacent ends of the centering elements with its two arms, the said anchorage arranged to tilt upon its pivot and release the remaining elementupon the'accidental incapacitation of the other element,

I and means to prevent the tilting of the yoke under normal conditions, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of centering springs connected at their one end to the steering mech anism of the two wheels, and a joint anchorage for the other ends of the two springs,

said anchorage comprising a yoke member pivotally mounted on the fixed support and engaging the adjacent ends of the springs ,with its two arms, the said anchorage arranged to tilt upon its pivot and release the remaining spring upon the accidental release of the other spring, and a friction lock for the yoke arranged to yield only upon the release. of one of the springs, substantially as described.

10. In a device of the character described,

the combination of centering springs connected at their one end to the steering mechanism of the two Wheels, and a joint anchorpacitation of either of the springs, substantially as described. v

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of centering springs conj nected at their one end to the steering mechanism of the two wheels, and a joint anchorage for the other ends of the two springs, said anchorage comprising a transversely apertured yoke member engaging with its two arms the adjacent ends of the centering springs, a clamp fixed upon the front axle intermediate the connection of the centering springs with the steering mechanism, a bolt extending from the clamp through the aperture of the yoke, a nut upon the end of the bolt, and a spring between the nut and yoke, the opposed faces of the nut and yoke provided with a stud and recess having inclined walls whereby to maintain a frictional lock between the yoke and clamp under normal conditions and to permit the disengagement of the lock and tilting of the clamp upon the release of one of the springs to effect the release of the other spring, sub stantially as described; M

In testimony whereof I havehereunto signed my name in the presence of two sub- I l/Vitnesses:

' WALTER M. FULLER,

T. D. BUTLER. 

